Climbing Retreat

Is this event for you? Not sure what to wear, what to bring, how to get to your event site, where to park, or how to prepare? Hopefully the FAQ answers all your questions. If not, be in touch! Email us.

Do I need prior rock climbing experience? Are there fitness requirements?
Most who participate have little-to-no prior indoor or outdoor rock climbing experience. And the great thing about indoor rock climbing gyms is they are designed to offer beginners expert instruction in a safe environment AND also offer increasingly challenging options for climbing to those who have prior experience.Return to top

“Who can benefit from this event?”
Any person who is physically capable of climbing and has an interest in learning something new while accelerating his or her goals. The event is designed to give you new or re-newed awareness of your innate capabilities, re-wire your brain and body to set the stage for a leap in your growth and success, and have you leave feeling exhilarated, empowered, and motivated.Return to top

How long is the retreat/event? What will we actually be doing?
The public version of this event is 3.5 hours and includes 1 hour of introduction and goal setting, up to 2 hours of climbing instruction and climbing time with expert staff, and a final 30-to-60 minutes debriefing the experience, celebrating the results, and confirming your next steps.Return to top

What exactly is indoor rock climbing?We borrowed this great description from the website of one of our partner sites: “an activity in which you move up a wall, natural or manmade, similar to climbing the stairs and scrambling up a steep hill but with finesse and precision. Add in the skills you used on the monkey bars and the slide of your childhood playground and voila you’re climbing. Climbing is not difficult to learn, but there are a few tricks. To ensure safety, folks climb in pairs, to spot each other bouldering or to use a rope and harness to belay. Belaying is the art of attaching two climbers to each other and the wall. One person climbs and the other secures the rope so that when the climber falls and/or is through with a climb they will be safely lowered to the ground. This safety procedure requires lessons. Learning a few of the tricks requires lessons. Lessons run about two hours and cover the basics.”Return to top

Is it safe?
There are risks inherent in any physical activity and also with indoor rock climbing. That is why you sign a waiver as part of registration and with the climbing facility itself prior to climbing. At the same time, we have only chosen climbing facilities that hire experts to support our retreat participants and maintain the safety of their facilities for the enjoyment of climbers.Return to top

Can we offer this type of event for our group, organization, team or company?
Absolutely! In fact, the design of this event was inspired by a request from an existing client who wanted to offer a fun, team-bonding event and also accelerate their sales team’s performance in achieving and exceeding their goals. Requirements include identifying a nearby indoor rock climbing gym to where you are located, having a group of 6-to-25 in size (or multiple dates/times to divide up a larger group), and a budget of at least $1,500 plus travel expenses per retreat to over the costs for our retreat facilitator. And, this event can be customized to meet the needs of your overall goals and desired outcomes, as well as be offered as a stand-alone or as part of a larger 1-day or multiple day event. Email us to learn more.Return to top

Do I need to have a goal in mind before I come?
Yes, it’s helpful to have at least some idea of what your goal is so you know what you’re climbing for. We’ll send you a pre-event survey to help you clarify your goal, and also send you some links to a couple short videos to get your ready for the day. Also, in the first hour of the event, we’ll spend time as a group talking about your goal and climbing. So, by the time you actually suit-up to climb, you’ll have something in mind to climb for.Return to top

Will food/drink be provided? Should I eat before I arrive?
We recommend you eat a hearty meal before you arrive. We will have healthy snacks and water onsite, but you may also want to bring your own water bottle to refill and special snacks if you have any food preferences.Return to top

What should I wear? What should I bring?
You must wear gym shoes, aka footwear appropriate for any physical activity. If you don’t have the right kind of shoes, or you’re not sure, you can always pay a bit extra (maybe $3 to $5) to rent a pair of specialty climbing shoes the day of the event. As for clothing, you’ll want to wear comfortable clothing and we recommend no short shorts so the climbing harness covers fabric and not bare skin. You may also want to bring a water bottle and snacks (see the “food” question above).Return to top

Are cameras and cell phones welcome?
If you want someone to take a photo of you climbing, bring a camera or your smart phone and we’ll do our best to find someone in our group to be a friendly photographer for you.Return to top

What is the cancellation policy? Are there any guarantees?
Because we are required to put down a deposit with the management of each climbing site, all cancellations must be received no later than 7 days before the event date. As for guarantees, we are so confident you will have fun, be challenged, and learn something new, that if you do all the prep work (watch the videos & submit the pre-event survey), participate fully in the event, and still don’t have fun, experience a challenge and learn something new, then submit your request in writing to us with proof of your full participation no more than 24 hours after the event and we will refund 50% of your original registration cost.Return to top